Maryland needs to join the group of states that says that they will stand with the nearly 200 countries that have signed the Paris accord, even if the current president will not. See my Op Ed in the Baltimore Sun on November 23. 2017.

I will be hosting a “Facebook Live” event on Thursday, December 15, at 7 p.m. Please join me for a discussion on the problems of college affordability and share ideas to address those problems.

To participate, please log on to my Facebook Page at 7 p.m. or any time after that. If you are not yet following me on Facebook, please send me a Friend request, or Like or Follow my page to join in the conversation!

I and many others were very disappointed that Governor Hogan vetoed the bill revising the renewable energy portfolio standards (SB921/HB1106) and providing for jobs in the clean energy sector. Below are excerpts from an article published on May 31 in ClimateWire on the “whiplash” this veto caused:

Maryland’s Republican governor Friday gave his state’s climate policy supporters a case of whiplash, vetoing renewable portfolio standard legislation two months after he signed into law one of the most ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets in the nation.

State Sen. Paul Pinsky (D), who sponsored the measure and sits on the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, said “there’s a fair chance” the Maryland General Assembly could override the veto when it reconvenes in January. The move was disappointing to those who had seen Gov. Larry Hogan’s enactment of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act of 2016 as a sign of tacit support for Democrat-led strategies to cut carbon dioxide emissions. . . .

Maryland Del. Dana Stein (D), who also sits on the state climate commission, said increasing the renewable portfolio standard was central to the state’s ability to meet its greenhouse gas reduction target.

“Can it hypothetically be achieved without the RPS? It’s certainly possible, but it’ll be a challenge using all the available tools to get to 40 percent,” Stein said. “Taking one of the key tools out means the challenge is even greater.”

Baltimore County Schools issued a press release today reporting that U.S. News and World Report named 9 BCPS schools among its Best High Schools list. I am so proud that near the top of that list is Dulaney High school–which ranked 12th in Maryland and 350th out of 2,673 nationally!!

This bill would prohibit public colleges and universities from engaging in the practice of “award displacement.” This happens when enterprising students get financial aid from private scholarship groups such as Central Scholarship, a wonderful non-profit based in Owings Mills, after they’ve been awarded institutional aid by their college. Many students need to get financial aid from such groups to make college affordable.

Unfortunately, some Maryland colleges reduce their institutional aid to students by the amount of new aid that students have obtained. This practice is a misuse of private donor funds, will discourage giving, and is unfair to the student. My House Bill 231 would prohibit such award displacement when a student’s “financial need” has not been met.

Green energy has the potential to create a new base of manufacturing and blue-collar jobs in Baltimore.

I had the honor of meeting Israeli Lt. General Benjamin Gantz last night at the Baltimore Zionist District’s Brandeis Gala at Beth Tfiloh. BZD honored General Gantz with its Justice Louis D. Brandeis award and also honored Laurie and Kevin Luskin. Pictured in the photo with me is General Gantz and Cong. Chris Van Hollen, who also attended the event.